This invention pertains to protective gear for a firefighter, particularly a face mask, such as a face mask for a self-contained breathing apparatus, a head harness attached detachably to the face mask and used for securing the face mask removably to the wearer""s head, and a protective hood, in a novel combination.
Commonly, a firefighter is required to wear a face mask, such as a face mask for a self-contained breathing apparatus, as secured removably to the wearer""s head, via a head harness, which is attached detachably to the face mask, via fasteners at or near an outer perimeter of the face mask. Along with the face mask, the firefighter may be also required to wear a protective hood, which provides a fire-retardant, thermally insulative barrier protecting the wearer""s head, except for at least a portion of the wearer""s face where the face mask is worn, and protecting the wearer""s neck, and which is worn so as to cover at least part of an outer perimeter of a window portion of the face mask. As exemplified in U.S. Pat. No. 6,266,828 and in U.S. Pat. No. 6,328,031, it is known for the protective hood to be directly and detachably attached to the face mask, as via similar fasteners used to attach the head harness detachably to the face mask.
This invention provides, for a firefighter, a protective combination comprising a face mask, a head harness, and a protective hood. The head harness, which is attached detachably to the face mask, is adapted to secure the face mask removably to the wearer""s head so that the face mask is disposed in a frontal position relative to the wearer""s face. The protective hood is adapted, when worn with the face mask, to cover the wearer""s head, except for at least a portion of the wearer""s face, and to cover an outer perimeter of the face mask. This invention contemplates that the protective hood is attached to the head harness, rather than directly to the face mask, so that the protective hood is attachable to the window portion, along with the head harness, and so the protective hood is detachable from the window portion, along with the head harness. The protective hood is attached to the head harness non-detachably, as via stitches, or is attached to the head harness detachably, as via snap fasteners or hook-and-loop fasteners. If the head harness has flexible straps, which are known in a head harness, the protective hood may be thus attached to those straps.